Snatch block



Aug. 18, 1953 J. E. FATE, JR

SNATCH BLOCK Filed April 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E WIIIIIII INVENTOR J.E. FATE,JR. BY M? L p752 FIG. I

A TTORNEY Aug. 18, 1953 Filed April 2, 1949 J. E. FATE, JR

SNATCH BLOCK 5 Sheegs-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

J. E. FATE, JR.

-vmw/ ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1953 J. E. FATE, JR 2,649,282

SNATCH BLOCK Filed April 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 22 22 9 a 9 fig g FIG 7 F 8 ,FIG IO INVENTOR. J.E. FATE,JR

A TTORNE Y Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED PATENT oFFi-cE SNA ZZZ Z ZOGK JessceiE Eate, .Ir.,:Tu1sa, kla.

ApplieationgApril" 2, 1949,,1SerialiNo, 85,069;

This invention relates to improvements snatch blocks and moreparticularly to. improved means for quick-Opening of snatch blocks, to facilitate stringing-the cable.

Many present day conventional snatch blocks. are usually provided with a movable side plate, which is. opened by means of a bolt which must be, pulled out from theop-posite side. This makes the snatch block, awkward to openandmanipulate, especially when the. snatch block is being handled in a horizontal position. Furthermore, the bolts are frequently dropped and. lost.

The removable bolt isv eliminated in. some types of snatch blocks, such as that described. in Patent Number 2,162,080, issued June 13,1939, to Hacker. In this structure, the hook must be rotated a quarter turn relative to the .side plates in order to open the snatch block. This. feature makes.

the snatch block diflicult to handle when it is supported by the hook from a gin pole, since to open. and. close the. snatch block the weight of both the block and cable must be supported while the movable. sidenlate ismanipulatedinto locking position. The snatch block. of my invention is designed for simplicity and ease of operation, and-to obviate completediisassembly cit-parts wbenopening thesnatchblock- An important object. of; my inyention is :toprovide for the rapid. opening, and-closing" of a snatch block for the purpose of stringing the cable.

Another object of this invention is to providea snatch block which may be opened by 'means of a side plate pivotable about the sheave shaft.

Another object is to provide a snatch block which may be opened without the complete disassembly of any parts.

And still another object is to provide a snatch block which may be easily opened and closed by manipulation on one side of the snatch block.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention.

In the drawings: I I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of the snatch block in closed position and including my snatch block in an open position with one side plate displaced relative to the other permitting stringing of the cable.

Fig. 4 is a similar view in section taken at right angles to Fig. 3.

tion.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the movable side plate. illustrating the raised cam,

surface :or boss which mates with the. nut. shown inFig. 5.

Fig. 7. is a fragmentary sectional view'of another form of my invention having a springloaded cap. in place of a threaded'nut.

Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7 except that the cap and movable side plate are in the open position.

Fig. 9 is a. detailed perspective View of the cap used in the modified form of my invention illustratedinFigs. '7 and 8.

Fig. 10 is a detailed perspective view of the shaft used in conjunction with the cap shown in Fig. 9;

Referring to the snatch block shown in Figs. 1. and. 2, side plates 2 and 4 have journaled between. them a sheave. '3. rotatable on a shaft 5. Athreaded shaft. or bolt 6 extends, through the lower ends. of side. plates- 2 and 4 and is secured by threaded. engagement at one end. with nut B, andat, the other end with nut 9.. The side, plate movement. relative .to the bolt. 6 in order to open and close the block. A becket [2 depends. from.

andi-srotatable. about shaft 6.. .An upwardly extending, shank l3 of a hook I; extends through.

the becket 1.2., and is suspended .in a manner. to provide a swivel connection by threaded engagement with nut 16 positioned within the becket l2.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a special nut 8 is shown unthreaded a sufiicient amount to permit the slotted and movable side plate 2 to be pivoted about shaft 5 and swung into an open position, thereby providing access for stringing a cable (not shown) over the sheave 3. Flanges I9 are disposed around and integral with the shaft 6 for retaining the becket I2 in position and hold the bolt 6 in place when the snatch block is in the open position. The nut 8 is preferably prevented from being completely unthreaded from the bolt 6 by mutilating the end thread on the bolt 6, or by other suitable swaging means. A recess I! in the nut 8 permits the end of shaft 6 to be flush with the nut 8 in closed position while providing suflicient space for unthreading the nut 8 to open the snatch block.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the special nut 8 is shown provided with a circular recess 18 adapted to mate with a boss or projection 2|] located at the inner end of slot II]. It will be apparent that when the recess I8 of nut 8 is engaged with cam surface 20, the side plate 2 will be rigidly held in closed posiopened and closed by manipulation from one side of the block.

The use of the boss 20 for securing the plate 2, also provides for another function which is an advantage of my invention. When the nut B is engaged with the boss 20, any vertical load on shaft 6 is transmitted through the nut 8 to the area above rather than below the slot ID of the side plate 2. In this way the slot [0 i prevented from weakening the side plate 2 in the functional operation of the snatch block, since any force tending to open the slot is taken up by the nut 8.

Fig. '7 shows a modified form of my invention, wherein a cap or nut 22 is held in closed position by the thrust exerted by a helical compression spring 24 disposed around the end of stud 26 and retained by washer 2T fixed to the end of stud 26. In Fig. 8, spring-loaded cap 22 is held in the open position by means of diametrically opposed lugs 28 provided on shaft 26, and movable side plate 2 is in the open position.

In Fig. 9, the cap 22, used in the modified form of my invention, is provided with diametrically opposed slots 30 for the purpose of passing over lugs 28 of Fig. 8, which are illustrated more clearly in Fig. 10.

In the operation of the modified form of my invention, to open the snatch block, the springloaded cap nut 22 is retracted by sliding laterally along shaft 26 and is rotated so that lugs 28 bear upon the bottom of recess l8, thus holding the cap in the open position, whereupon the recess I8 is moved away from the boss 20 (Fig. 7) in a dis-engaged position. The side plate 2 may then be swung open as illustrated in Fig. 8, providing access for threading a cable (not shown) over sheave 3. In order to close the snatch block, the movable side plate 2 is brought into the closed position, and the cap nut 22 is rotated until slots 30 are in alignment with lugs 28 whereupon the compression spring 24 cause the 4 cap nut 22 to snap into the closed position and engage the boss 20, thereby holding the movable side plate 2 rigidly in the closed position.

The parts comprising the opening and locking device of my invention may be readily fabricated by conventional shop practices, for example, the movable side plate 2 containing the raised surface 20 may be shaped by forging and finished by machining the boss 20. Likewise, the special nut 8 may be made by forging, boring and tapping operations.

It will be apparent that the movable side plate 2 could pivot about the lower shaft 6 by locating the raised surface 20 and the slot 10 adjacent the upper shaft 5 which would then be secured by the special nut 8 or the cap 22.

' Changes may be made in the specification and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the following claim, as set forth.

I claim:

A snatch block comprising a shaft, a pair of side plates journaled on the shaft, a pulley journaled on the shaft between the side plates, a bolt interconnecting the side plates in spaced relation to the shaft, a pair of spaced flanges provided on the bolt between the side plates, a becket carried by the bolt between the flanges, a hook swivelly connectedto the becket, one of said side plates having a slot to receive the bolt and provide swinging movement of said side plate on the shaft relative to the bolt, a substantially annular outwardly depending flange on the slotted plate adjacent the slot and between the slot and the shaft, a locking member threaded on the bolt having a recess to receive said fiange and maintain the slotted plate in a fixed position on the bolt, and means on the bolt to prevent complete retrograde movement of the locking member.

JESSEE E. FATE, JR.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 585,514 Dods June 29, 1897 2,474,433 McKissich June 28, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,711 Sweden Mar. 28, 1891 

